Two agencies in US Department of Homeland Security lose 1,000 computers every year

Washington, Feb. 26 (ANI): Two agencies in US Department of Homeland Security lose nearly 1,000 computers per year, new documents have revealed.

According to documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, departments of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lost at least 985 computers in 2008, costing taxpayers approximately 13.3 million dollars.

CBP's total inventory of lost and stolen equipment, or 1,975 pieces, totalled 7.5 million dollars; ICE's inventory, meanwhile, was 1,547 items, equating to a loss of 5.8 million dollars, Fox News reports.

"When I look at these inventories with my own eyes, page after page, I still think there's a good chance that we're dealing with some significant security breaches, and possibly insider theft," said Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, which filed the FIA application. You really have to look at these inventories, and go through them page after page to get an idea off how obnoxious these losses are," he added.

CBP, however, insists that none of the lost computers contained sensitive or classified data.

Other losses, according to the Independence Institute, include 235 night vision scopes by CBP officials and an "international harvester vehicle truck." (ANI)